Sand playbox



June 13 1950 J. M. ZAHNER 2,511,089

l SAND PLAYBOX Filed Feb. 19, 1946 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Lag y///MQZMWW J. M. ZAHNER 2,511,089

SAND PLAYBOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 d., v 4r JJ J4 June 13, 1950 Filed Feb. 19, 1946 Patented June 13, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT onirico-E SAND PLAYBOX J ohn M. Zahner, Ogden, Utah Application February 19, 1946., Serin! No fitte-lli- 4 claims. (ci. 2212-189) lnrontlon relatesA to, n sand niet box, and

visionR of an improved sand playl box charaeterined by e plurality ofolosnble apertures in the londo thereof, whereby sand man be permitted to 110W troni, the box throng-n. suon apertures as desiredrln additional oloioot. of tlio intention is, the profesion el Ineens whereby thdnlurnlity of aportdros may bo Simultaneously opened and closed, and whereby tine degree of opening oi such apertures indy be readily oor.ltr-oiled,`

Still another obleot of the invention is the provision oi'snnrdrnenns ln assoointion with suoli a device, whereby thengers of the juvenile user thereof.- ero prot-noted. from4 lniur-ll in the opening and closingo@ the apertures.

Still` anotherV object of the invention yis the provision of such a device which is sturdy and durable inconstruction, reliable and ecient in operation, and relatively simple, and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble,

Other objects will in partbe obvious and in part be pointed out. as the description or the invention proceeds and shown, in the accompanying drawings, wherein there is disclosed' a preferred embodiment of this inventive; concept,

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is, atop plan View ofone form ofdevice embodying features ofY the instantinvention.

Figure. 2 is a central longitudinal vertical sectional View of the device.

Figure 3 is a central transverse vertical sectionalview of the device.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan View of the device, certain concealed portions thereof being indicated in dotted lines.

Figure 5 is afragmentary perspective View` of a constructional detail.

Similar reference. characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring nowtdthe drawings, the device of theV instant invention is comprised ofA a receptacle generally indicated at IU, including side Walls I I, end Walls I2, and a bottom generally indicated at. I3'.

The top of the device is. open and is' covered with a foraminous member I4, such as a fine screen, secured in position by side sheathing strips I5 and end strips I6 which engage overlapping portions II ofthe wire I4 and are held in position, as

by b rads or nails, llt secured to, tilesldo and. ond wnllsrosneotiloly. Roinforoins bolts llt. atlanti Snorrn in Figure 3 extend transversely between. tno'sid delle l et llitnlolesnaood interlan- 'lfno .olts loro nlrorlded with` heads il! and tra et?! ond 22j "oln opposite sides, of tine ,levi., .=,o.t rnootlroll. and held. in related. assembly, or means or niets??- Eaon of theend walls l2 oided with n Suitable handle ZA to idol, ets, @ovine of tno device. l r' As best shown in Figure 2, the end portions I2, are tted into thel bottom section I3 in suitable rnliloetodnorton-`2 andes nre 3J tno Sido walls Il are o in reboots. 2li in the SidesY of lieforrln.: ldoll'toj tno, lili lt iilll les eeen thntthe, Snrnelssrolfidsd with plurality' of, aportllros 30 tho Sides olfwllloh er@ led, no. at 3l., to feollltato. tno ire@ Postage' o sand 'theretllronshtv Welle, tllo 'llo stiro., onlloodlnlont heroin shown, and, do "leed, there are tloroo, enertnres, it to los anderst d tllettho. nillnbsr inni' be increased, or deo.m dem df,

Extending longitudinally ol tno del/loo, and torlninatlne ndiaoent.. tno bordell' dos il. of, lille apertures 3l! are n p... r of eend gnillololool 32 of triangular snroiizV to Servo not onlyy as.. l the Seine into the .llros. 311,. lont also fis. rein,- forcing members to strengthen the assembly.

Underlying the bolso 3 are a noir ori longitudinally extending: ellidownro. i3, provided with .rnbboted or nortioni. at. Within. Wilton are Slidoblr mounted, olosnro lols s=l .r..s 35. adapted. to close the apertures 2li The ends of tno. 4.olinllrlrls formed in the lllools are closed liv transversely extending monitors Sli at oooh ond thereof to. nro..- olude, the oornnleto Withdrawal *off the.' olosnro lolooks 3,5 when moved in rnonner to. bo inoro fully described, 13! ell'ltel- ,SQQIQQ 99 he. Il?? del' Side 0f eah 12h@ 13109155. 35. @15. b5! ENQQS- Qf b rads or nails 31, is a'longitudin'ally extending come ad or seien? wilderness, inwardly from either end of the receptacle I0' insuch'mar'iner that the end thereof may be grasped to simultaneously slideY all of the closure members 35 linearly Within the channels 34 of the members 33. Positirmed beneath the 'bottom I3 along the sides thereof and outwardly of the guiden members 33 are a pair of blocky members 40 to the under sides of 'Wl'icl'i isV secured a` screen 4I adapted to serve as a, lter for the sand, and simultaneously to protect the Working parts of the mechanism. The screen 4Il is secured in position,

as by means of longitudinally extending strips 42 secured to the blocks 40, as by means of nails or brads 43.

The screen 4| also will act as a guard or protector to prevent a child from injuring the fingers during the use of this device or when operating the sand control mechanism.

From the foregoing the operation of the device should now be readily understandable. The receptacle I D is rst filled with sand through the screen I4, thus ltering out all undesirable lumps while being retained in closed position. it is desired to permit the sand to flow from the device, the control member 38 is moved longitudinally, thus opening the apertures v3i! by movement of the closure members 35 to any desired degree. Obviously, a relatively ne ilow of sand may be permitted to fall from the apertures when -they are slightly. open, or. a relatively large volume when completely open. The sand may be permitted to flow to any desired position or loca- A. tion, and added amusement value may be afforded the device by the use of two in conjunction, the sand flowing from one into the other, )the first box being placed on a relatively raised device, such as a stand (generally indicated at 50, .see Fig. 2), and the position of the boxes reversed when the sand is exhausted from the rst box. Equally obviously the now of sand may be utilized to operate any desired type of sand toy or other jV apparatus.

The device may be manufactured in any de- ;sired size and utilized either for outdoor play or indoor play in association with any conventional .type of sandbox or similar device, and may be manufactured of vany suitable material, although in actual practice wood, such as pine or the like,

`has been foundto be preferable.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that Ythere is herein provided an improved device accomplishing all the objects of this invention, and

others, including many advantages of great practical utility and high entertainment value.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may -be made of the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all mat- Yter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

l.. In a sand play device, a. supporting base provided with a longitudinally extending opening. a .foraminous member extending racross said longitudinally extending opening and secured to said base, a receptacle having an open-top for the insertion of sand therethrough supported on said Y-base, the bottom of Said receptacle being provided Ywith a plurality of. openings arranged in spaced parallel relation longitudinally thereof` the openings .in the bottom of said receptacle being in alignment -with the longitudinally extending opening in said base, a plurality of spaced clo- :tuable means carried by said closure means and operable adjacent the opposed ends of said receptacle for-simultaneously positioningr said plu rality of closure members at select points of said Ymovement into and vout of closing relationship with respect to said openings. 2. In a sand playdevice, a supporting base provided with a longitudinally extending opening, a

foraminous member extending across said longitudinally extending opening and secured to said base, a receptacle having an open top for the insertion of sand therethrough supported on said base, a second foraminous member extending across the open top of said receptacle and secured thereto, the bottom of said receptacle being provided with a plurality of openings arranged in spaced parallel relation longitudinally thereof, the openings in the bottom of said receptacle being in alignment with the longitudinally exor other elements, the closure members 35 mean# A `j tending opening in said base, a plurality of spaced When closure members arranged longitudinally of the bottom of said receptacle and mounted on said bottom for movement into and out of closing relation with respect to the openings in said receptacle, and hand-actuable means carried by said closure means for simultaneously positioning said plurality of closure members at select points of said movement into and out of closing relation with respect to the openings in said receptacle.

3. In a sand play device, a supporting base provided with a longitudinally extending oper),- ing, a foraminous member extending across said longitudinally extending opening and secured to secured to said bottom and extending longitudinally thereof for directing said sand toward the openings in the bottom of said receptacle, aiplurality of spaced closure members arranged longitudinally of the bottomof said receptacle and mounted on said bottom for movement into Varid out of closing relation lwith respect to said openings, and hand-actuable means carried by said closure means and loperable adjacent the opposed ends of said receptacle for simultaneously positioning said plurality of closure members at se`- lect points of said movement intoI and out of closing relation with respect to the openings in the bottom of said receptacle.

4. In a sand play device, a 'supporting baise provided with a longitudinally extending' opening, a foraminous' member extending across said longitudinally extending opening and secured to said base, a receptacle having an open top for the insertion of sand therethrough supported on said base, a second foraminous member extending across theV open top of said receptacle and secured thereto, the bottom Aof said receptacle being pro'- vided with a plurality of openings arranged'in spaced parallel relation longitudinally thereof, the openings in the bottom of 'saidreceptacle being in alignment with therlongitudinally extending opening in said base, guide 'means secured to said bottom and extending longitudinally thereof for directing said sand toward the openings in the bottom of said receptacle, a pluralltypf spaced closure members arranged 'longitudinally of the bottom of said receptacleand mounted on "said bottom for movement into and out of closing relation with respect to the openings in the bottom of said receptacle, stop means carried on the under side of the bottom of said receptacle and engaging at least two of said plurality of closure members for limiting the movementV of the latter out of closing relation with respect to REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Hamilton Nov. 30, 1869 Number 

